John Bulmer: Black Country Series

Photographer John
Bulmer, who was born in 1938 into the famous Bulmer cider-making
family, began using a camera whilst at Cambridge University, where he took
pictures for Varsity magazine and then for Image, a picture title that he
co-founded. Such was his enthusiasm for the trade that he abandoned his
training in engineering and hot-footed it to London to make his name as a
photographer.

His first position was with The Daily Express, then the foremost paper in
Britain for photography, for whom he did many assignments in association
with Paris Match. But he found his real niche at Town magazine (originally
Man About Town, then About Town), a new fashion publication that prided
itself on its imagery. Other photographers on its rosta included Terrence
Donovan, David Bailey and Don McCullin.

The images shown here are from an essay he produced for Town in 1961 in
conjunction with George Lamming, entitled 'England's Hard Centre: The Black
Country'. Entranced by The North's back-to-back terraces, cobbled streets
and stoic factory workers, Bulmer hoped to show that the region's grit was
as worthy of capture as life in the Swinging South. The project extended
long after the essay was published, and sealed his reputation as one of
Britain's finest photojournalists.

Bulmer's work is on display until 31 October at The Light House,
Wolverhampton, as part of the second Black Country Echoes Festival, which
runs until January 17 2015, across 25 venues around the region.